If you remember as far back as the 1980s, you have probably thrown down against a friend at the arcade by shouting the phrase: “It’s ON like Donkey Kong.” If you grew up in the 90s, you probably remember Ice Cube using that phrase in his lyrics. And heck, if you grew up in the millennium, you’re probably even familiar with “On like Donkey Kong!” as a quote from American Pie.

It’s pretty obvious that “It’s on like Donkey Kong,” then, wasn’t a phrase created by Nintendo… but that hasn’t stopped them from successfully trademarking it.

According to the Big N, the catchphrase is “an old, popular Nintendo phrase that has a number of possible interpretations depending on how it’s used. In addition to Nintendo’s use, it has been used in popular music, television and film over the years, pointing to Donkey Kong’s status as an enduring pop-culture icon and video game superstar.”

Nintendo’s justifiably proud of its famous ape’s enduring popularity, but this is clearly a bit rich: “It’s on like Donkey Kong” was certainly not a phrase created by Nintendo. It’s just been legally co-opted by them.

So, yeah, sure: a trademark that should never have been awarded, given the prior art. Still, it’s hard to fault Nintendo’s timing: the new Donkey Kong game Donkey Kong Returns comes out this week.